Chuck



Jan. 19, 1932. J, A *THATCHER 1,841,460

CHUCK Filed Nov. 6, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 19, 1932. J. A. THM-CHER 1,841,460

A CUcK Filed Nov. 6, 929 2 sheets-snaai. .2

y O 55 (D 52 O 25` O ""H Patented Jan. 19, 1932 PATENT OFFICE JOHN A. vTHATCHER, 0F SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS CHUCK Application led November My invention relates to chucks or vises, and particularly to devices of this character which are adapted for use as work holders.

Among the objects of lmy invention may be mentioned the provision of a device which is simple and positive in operation; which can be moved quickly from open to closed position and which'is free from liability of jamming or clogging by metal chips.

Other objects will appear from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In these drawings Fig. lis a plan view of-the chuck, the jaws being in open position.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line II-II ofk Fig. vl.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the chuck with the jaw guideways exposed, the ychuck jaws and the base being omitted. f

Fig. 4 is an end 'elevation of the completel device. c Fig. 5 is a detail perspective Aview of the jaw-actuating member.

In the drawings the reference character 6 designates alhousing secured to and lcarried by a suitablel base This housing is hollow and4 contains withinita rotatably mounted jaw-actuatingmember- 9, supported and held in it by adjustable bearing rings 10,which are threaded into the housing.

In: its upper surface thehousing 6 is cut awayto'form'two longitudinal grooves 11 extending throughout its length, and adapted to receive a pair of guideplates 12. Also cut in this housing is a groove 13 which is deeper thank they grooves 11 to accommodate the bottom portions of the jaws 8. The guideplates 12fare secured in position by suitable kmeans such as screws 14 threaded into the housing block and when in position form 21T-shaped channel in which jaws 8 travel.

The jaws 8 are two in number and, since they are identical in structure, a description of one of them will suflice. Eachjaw comiprises a main portion 15 having a lower section ljadapted to enter and slide in the groove 13 of the housing 6. The front face of portion 15 is cut back at 17 and rabbeted at 2O to receivea tongue 19 '0n a Wearing contains two oppositely inclined cam grooves 6, 1929. Serial No. 405,247.

block 18. The portion 15 is recessed on its rear face to afford access to a screw 21 arranged to hold the wearing block 18 in position. In addition to the above mentioned parts, each of the jaws 8 carries in its lower side a pin 22 having a square shank 22a adjacent to the bottom face of the block, and an extended cylindrical portion carrying a roller 23. It will be clear from the above, that when the jaws 8 are placed in the groove 13 and the guideplates 12 are screwed into position, the jaws will be capableof longitudinal movement toward and away from each other, and will be confined tothe T-shaped channel. The groove 13 contains two substantially rectangular openings 25, which receive the square shanks 22a of pins 22,and further limit and guide the jaws 8 in their travel.

The jaw-actuating member 9 mounted. within the housing 6 is substantially cylin-y drical in form and'is reduced in cross section at its two ends for cooperation with the bear-y ing rings 10. The outer face of member 9 24 extending partially around it and adapted to receive the rollers 23 carried by pins 22 on jaws 8. Member 9 also has a central radial opening 34 passing through it Vfor a purpose which will appear hereinafter. One endV of the jaw-actuating member 9 is extended at 26, and cut to form a polygonal surface for the reception of a handle 27 secured in place by any suitable means such as a washer 28 and a screw 29. As here shown the surface 26 is hexagonal, but this is not essential, the only purpose of this construction being to prevent relative movement between the member 9 and the handle 27. rProper clearance between the parts, and also adjustment for wear can be secured by screwing the bearings 10 in or out, Spanner holes 30 being provided for this purpose. When satisfactory adjustment is secured, the rings 10 may be fastened in adjusted position by locking screws 31.

As shown in the drawings the jaws 8 are in full open position, the handle 27 being substantially horizontally disposed. By moving this handle upwardly toward the vertical position, the jaw-actuating member 9 can be rotated in its bearings to produce relative longitudinal movement of the 8. The cam grooves 24 function to advance the pins 22 toward the central portion of member 9 during this movement, the openings 25 in housing G serving` as additional means for guiding the shanks 22a so that movement ot the jaws can take place along one line only. Friction between the cam grooves 2% and pins 22 is reduced by the rollers 23.

As mentioned above this chuck is very well adapted for use as awork holder on drill presses, and when used ifor this purpose is subjected to accumulations of chips or burr caused by drilling operations. In order to avoid jamming the mechanism by such accumulations, the housing 6 contains two openings 32 and 83 in its top and bottom faces, respectively, which register with opening 34- in the j avv-actu ating member 9 when the jaws are in open position. Likewise the base 7 contains an opening 35 in line with openings 32 and 33, so that the chips can fall entirely through the chuck and be discharged from the press.

The structure of this chuck is ot particular value in that it makes possible ai very wide opening of th-e aws by a comparatively slight movement of the actuating handle. The inclination of the cam grooves 2-l is such that the jaws may be maintained in holding position by the wedging action between the rollers 23 and the cam grooves. Another advantage of this construction is that each time the jaws are opened the discharge opening for chips is automatically opened to allow the chips to fall through without any attention on the part of the operator.

In structures of this character heretofore used, the aws have usually been actuated by a rotatable member carrying sets oil fine right and left hand threads, these threads engaging and cooperating` with internally threaded sleeves or nuts secured to the chuck jaws. Such structures are not only weak because of the ineness of the threads, but several turns of the j aw-actuating member are necessary for either opening or closing the jaws, and assembly and disassembly ot the chuck are rendered diiiicult because the threaded sleeves or nuts entirely surround t-he actuating member.

In chucks embodying my invention, none of these disadvantages are present because the cam grooves are sturdy and extend only partially around the eircumterence ot the actuating member. A partial rotation of the actuating member sutlices to move the jaws from their fully open to their tully closed position, or vice versa, and the jaws can be lifted readily from the actuating grooves without dismantling the chuck. This arrangement makes it possible to employ a simple cast housing with relatively Jfew removable parts, and also to use antifriction rollers between the actuating member and the jaws, where, in structures ot' the prior art, such an arrangement was impossible.

I have described this chuck as adapted for use in connection with drill presses, but it will be clear that its use is not so limited, such use being mentioned merely by way of illustration.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form ot chuck embodying my invention, it will. be obvious that various changes and modiiications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

lVhat is claimed is:

l. A chuck comprising a housing having guideways therein; apairoi jaws movable toward and away from each other in said guideways; a cylindrical member mounted to oscillate in said housing, said member having a pair ot' oppositely inclined cam grooves in its surface, each groove extending over less than 360 oi" the circumference; a member carried by each of said jaws and movable in one of said grooves on one side only of the axis of the cylindrical member; and means for actuating said cylindrical member to move said aws.

2. A chuck comprising a pair of jaws movable toward and away from each other; means for guiding said jaws; a rotatable cylinder having two cam grooves in its outer surface, said grooves each extending over less than 360 of the circumference; roller means on said aws and cooperating with the cam grooves on one side only of the axis of the cylindrical member; and means for rotating said cylinder to actuate said jaws.

3. A chuck comprising a housing having open ends; a rotatable member disposed in said housing, said member having oppositely inclined spiral cam grooves in its outer surface; adjustable bearing members mounted in the ends of said housing and arranged to support said rotatable member; a pair of jaws slidably mounted in said housing and carrying members which extend into the cam grooves in said rotatable member from one side only of the axis of the rotatable member; and means for moving said rotatable member to produce relative movement of said jaws.

4. A chuck comprising a housing having guideways therein; a pair of aws movable in said guideways and having an open and a closed position; a cylindrical cam member mounted in said housing and adapted upon rotation to move said jaws, said member having a chip-discharging opening which registers with the opening between said jaws when said jaws are in open position; and

a handle secured to said cam member for actuating the same to move said jaws.

5. A chuck comprising a housing having guideWays therein a pair of jaws movable toward and away from eachother in said guideways; a depending member on each of said aws; and cam means for actuating said jaws, said means comprising a cylindrical member having a pair of grooves cooperating with the depending members on the jaws on one side only of the axis of thev cylindrical member, said grooves diverging Aoutwardly from the middle of the cylindrical member and each extending over less than 360 of the circumference of the cylindrical member.

6. A Vchuck comprising a one-piece housing containing a cylindrical chamber open at each end, and having two openings in the top; a pair of jaws slidably mounted :in the top of said housing and each carrying a member depending through one of said openings; a cylindrical member rotatably disposed within said housing and having a pair of spiral cam grooves diverging outwardly from the middle of the member, and each extending through approximately of the circumference ofthe member, each of said grooves co-operating withV one of the depending members on said jaws on one side only of the axis of the cylindrical member; and an actuating handle on one end of said cylindricalmember.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHNy A. THATCHER. 

